After the first bumpy few days, the ARC crews are settling into the rhythm of life at sea. Better weather and easier conditions have lifted spirits throughout the fleet. The rain squalls have eased and the sun has come out.

Daily logs now talk of happy hours in the cockpit and nice meals, instead of seasickness and damage.

Enjoyable sailing conditions are being reported, with winds from the ENE at 15 to 20 knots; sunshine and best of all no more foul-weather clothing to be worn as the rains have cleared. The Girls for Sail crew on Ostara have been doing deck aerobics in the sunshine, whilst the increasing temperatures have brought the first fruit and vegetable causalities - an exploding melon on Northern Child! Further gastronomic inconvenience has been caused aboard by the swell affecting the yachts "wine cellar". French crew member François describing the vintage as "well shaken" by its Atlantic odyssey.

At the front of the fleet, the two VOR60's are pressing on at a good pace, with Spirit just ahead by a nose. Their rivals Venom have chosen a slightly more southerly course. Will the winds hold for Spirit on their northern track? Both yachts are eating into the miles and have broken through first key indicator mark today, the 2,000 nautical mile distance to the finish in St.Lucia. The Hungarian team on Extra Dry are also up at the front, with an interesting race developing for the big boats.

Paper Moon who earlier had to return to Gran Canaria after their keel bolts worked lose have now arrived safely in Puerto Rico on the south of the Island and are being hauled out for repairs. Great Escapes are making good progress back as well, hoping to be in Las Palmas by Friday to repair their rudder bearings.

Tom Burton (AUS) and Alison Young (GBR) hit the right note in the Laser and Laser Radial at ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne as they took out the top honours and qualification spots to the 2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup Final.

It was double Australian gold in the Paralympic classes. Matt Bugg (AUS) came out on top in the 2.4mR whilst London 2012 Paralympic SKUD18 gold medallists Dan Fitzgibbon and Liesl Tesch (AUS) were triumphant in the two person keelboat.

Lithuania's Juozas Bernotas came out on top in the Men's RS:X whilst Russia's Stefania Elfutina was triumphant in the Women's RS:X. Both sailors claim the first Abu Dhabi ISAF Sailing World Cup Final spots whilst Jock Calvert (AUS) and Joanna Sterling (AUS) picked up the Oceanic spots for the Emirati finale.

There was some fast paced action in the 49er and 49erFX Medal Races at ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne as Nathan Outteridge & Iain Jensen (AUS) and Maia & Ragna Agerup (NOR) claimed the honours and Abu Dhabi final spots.

A tight group of five young Papua New Guinean (PNG) Laser sailors are stepping up their 2015 Pacific Games competition program using this week's ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne. PNG is one of 33 countries represented at the important Oceanic event, the largest Olympic sailing regatta in the southern hemisphere.

Melbourne, Australia will host the final Rio 2016 Paralympic Games qualification regatta in 2015. With just under one year until the event, the 2015 IFDS Worlds was launched at ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne.

ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne kick starts the journey to the 2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup Final in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates with qualification spots and top ranking points available in the Australian city.

Shawn Bennett (USA) won the Long Beach Stop of the 2015 California Dreamin' Series Sunday in this International Sailing Federation (ISAF) Grade 3 match racing regatta hosted by Long Beach Yacht Club and raced on the Long Beach Sailing Foundation's fleet of Catalina 37s.

After the limits of the southern oceans imposed by the combination of the weather systems and the safety barrier of the Antarctic Exclusion Zone, the Atlantic is opening up for the top trio of the Barcelona World Race.